It was gloomy and pouring when I turned on the American Top 40 re-run this morning. January 1976 got people up and moving with country, disco, R&B, bubblegum pop, and novelty acts. Hits that winter included "Saturday Night" by the Bay City Rollers, "Rock and Roll All Nite," by KISS, "You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate, "Fly Away" by John Denver, "I Write the Songs" by Barry Manilow, "Times of Your Life" by Paul Anka, "Evil Woman" by the Electric Light Orchestra, "Love to Love You Baby" by Donna Summer, "Sing A Song" by Earth, Wind, and Fire, and "Country Boy" by Glenn Campbell.
Truckers and trucker culture were all the rage in the mid and late 70s. It's popularity helped propel the novelty number "Convoy," by C.W McCall, to the #1 spot.
Since the rain was still coming down, I spent the next hour or so putting up the remaining winter decorations. Some of my general winter items go up with the Christmas decorations. I used to put my three stuffed snowmen (one was from Amanda and has spindly wooden legs; one was from Mom and has wire angel wings and a wire halo; one was from Uncle Ken and sings and dances when you move his hat) on the music area table, surrounding the big red vase, but I had to move the Nativity there when I got rid of the cheap plastic shelves. Now they have to wait to go out. I taped up cardboard scenes of snowmen playing winter sports and having fun, and glossy cardboard snowflakes. (I got rid of the larger snowflakes. I no longer put anything on the windows for over a month. Besides, the windows in my bedroom tend to get covered with condensation in the fall and winter months and ruin anything that's on them.)
Ran one of the Sailor Moon hour-long movies as I decorated. In the third and final one, based around the fourth season, children are being kidnapped from around the globe by an evil witch who wants to create a black hole made from their dreams. When Rini is among the children captured and Darien is hurt, Serena and the other Soldiers join a "dream fairy" who has befriended Rini to figure out a way to dissolve the Black Dream hole for good.
Headed out to run some errands after Sailor Moon ended. The rain was gone, but it was still gloomy and wet. It had also gone from way too cold for anyone to too warm for this time of year, probably in the lower 60s. I was sweating in my green winter jacket, no scarf, hat, or earmuffs even remotely needed. The majority of people still had their outdoor Christmas decorations up, probably because of the crazy weather we've had this week. There were a few people out running errands like me, but most were taking down their own indoor Christmas things or trying to stay dry.
CVS was pretty busy when I arrived. I wanted to stock up on Pantene's curly formula (I couldn't find Herbal Essence's de-frizz formula, which is what I was going to get originally). CVS seems to be the only store that sells the brushes for my brush pick that I got from the dentist's office in 2008. I also found a nylon tote that could fold into a smaller bag. I've been looking for a travel bag that I could use for errand runs and short trips for a while now, ever since I finally got rid of the striped bag I bought from Bath & Body Works years ago.
Since I was in the neighborhood, I stopped by Dad's on the way home to see if he was in. He was, and so was Jessa, who was watching SpongeBob SquarePants and looking up things for work on her computer. Dad was taking the ornaments off the very dry tree. He invited me to the Super Bowl party he and Jodie are having. I hope I'll be able to come. I worked late during the Super Bowl last year (which turned out to be a moot point - thanks to that black out in the Super Dome, it ran long anyway).
When I got home, I had lunch and got ready for work while watching Chicken Run. The creators of Wallace & Gromit and Sean the Sheep take us to a British chicken farm in the late 50s. Ginger is different from most hens. She's determined to really taste freedom and life on the other side of the coop with her fellow hen-mates. They're about to give up when Rocky Rhodes (voice of Mel Gibson) seems to fly in on a tricycle. The chickens think they can fly, and Ginger thinks she's found the answer to their prayers. Rocky, however, isn't what he says he is. Meanwhile, Mrs. Tweedy, the nasty head of the farm, buys a machine that'll make her bigger profits than egg-selling...and threatens the chickens' lives. They're going to literally have to fly the coop if they want to avoid ending up in Mrs. Tweedy's machine!
I've always liked this spoof of prisoner-of-war tales, from The Great Escape to Hogan's Heroes. My favorite character is the constantly-knitting Babs and her goofy insistence that chickens are just on "holiday." She gets the best lines - "Me life flashed before me eyes! It was really boring."
Work was crazy-busy early on, mostly quiet later, when the rain started up again. It had been on and off all day. Thankfully, it was off when I finished at work. I bought generic Acme whipped topping on sale and three boxes of the Jello Pumpkin Pie Spice Pudding on clearance (for $.59 each). Used two of them and the whipped topping to make Pumpkin Mousse for dessert when I got home.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Rainy Day Blues
I opened my eyes at 7:30, then closed them for what I thought was a few minutes. When I reopened them, the phone was ringing, and it was almost 9:30! Mom was the caller. She wanted to tell me that her debit card was breached and the Amazon.com gift certificate she gave me for Christmas might not work. Good thing I used it right after I got it and put it towards a new cordless phone.
After I got off with Mom, I finished The Pyrates. This goofy swashbuckler spoof by George MacDonald Fraser is pretty much Pirates of the Caribbean crossed with The Pirate Movie by way of Monty Python. Captain Ben Avery is our designated "hero" (but really something of a gentlemanly jerk) who is supposed to be taking a priceless crown to Madagascar. On the way, he falls for the gorgeous but spoiled rotten Lady Vanity. Also on board is Colonel Tom Blood, a real-life rogue and jewel thief who doesn't care about much besides his own hide, money, and easy women (in that order). The ship is attacked by pirates, who are there to rescue their slinky queen Sheba. The pirates separate the crown into six parts, send them off with their six captains, and turn Vanity over to slavers. Avery becomes determined to recover the crown, rescue his beloved, and defeat the pirates...never mind that Blood thinks he's basically nuts. The duo literally travel from England to South America to the Spanish Main and back again, with a stop in a native jungle village, as they chase the pirates and try to save the crown and the ladies.
I've loved this one since I first encountered it in high school. I used to take it out of Cape May Courthouse's main branch of the Cape May County Library once a summer. It's not for people looking for straight action fare or who don't get the swashbuckler jokes, but if you're a fan of pirate lore like me or just want to read a Mel Brooks-esque satire, this one can be found for a decent price on Amazon.com (which is how I got it several years ago).
I had a quick cereal and grapefruit breakfast before going online to check my PNC accounts. I was able to get my rent together and put a little money in savings. I wasn't happy with how upset the reply to my blog last night was - I posted my response there.
Spent the rest of the afternoon dusting and washing the windows. I ran a couple of rock CDs as I cleaned. Billy Joel's Greatest Hits I & II is a little superfluous for me, as I own a lot of his albums, but it's nice for when I don't feel like digging around for specific songs. I picked up Bruce Springsteen's The Rising right after it came out. I used to listen to it a lot when I lived in Wildwood. Five For Fighting's American Town has one of my favorite (relatively) recent rock numbers, "Superman (It's Not Easy to Be Me)."
I didn't finally finish the dusting until past 3:30. It was starting to mist outside, but I really, really had grocery shopping to do. I wanted to get my schedule, too. It was busy with rush hour people trying to avoid the heavy rain and flooding. I needed a lot, especially meat and produce - grapefruit, bananas, pre-cut asparagus and the Acme's own cabbage slaw in a container, breaded and spiced chicken, shrimp. Restocked crushed pineapple, plain yogurt, butter, milk, and chocolate chips. The clearance racks are laden with Christmas leftovers. I grabbed a box of Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Tea for iced tea and four packets of that Mott's Hot Apple Cider mix, plus a box of Lipton Black Pearl pyramid tea.
I'm not entirely happy with my schedule. On one hand, while I still have a fair amount of hours for this time of year (21) and the latest I work is 7:30 on Monday, I don't have another day off after today until Thursday! On the other hand, I have three days off in a row. While I'm glad to have the extra time to get some things organized here and get a lot of work done, I wish they'd start separating my days off. I have the feeling that this is part of the reason I've been so stressed lately.
The shower was getting heavier as I rode home. I arrived very wet. When I finally got in, I put everything away, then had the shrimp and slaw from the Acme with brown rice for dinner. Ran the 1998 The Man In the Iron Mask as I ate. Louis the 14th (Leonard DiCaprio) is the new king of France, but he's also an arrogant pain and a louse with a taste for other men's women. Aramis (Jeremy Irons) and Porthos (Geraud Depardeu) feel that he's getting out of hand, especially after he gives the starving people of Paris spoiled food and sends the son of Athos (John Malcovitch) to die in battle, just so he can get the lad's fiancee in bed. They rescue Louis' look-alike brother (DiCaprio again) from the Bastille and train him to replace the wayward ruler. Their old friend D'Artagnan (Gabriel Byrne), however, is devoted to the real king, and will do anything to keep him on the throne.
I saw part of this with Mom in the late 90s after it debuted on cable and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it, since I'm not normally a fan of DiCaprio (especially in his early Titanic teen pretty-boy days). While DiCaprio is a bit stiff and out of place, the four lead Musketeers take their rolls with all the relish of veterans, especially French comedian Depardeu as the lovable Porthos. I liked it a lot more than the Richard Chamberlain version I dubbed a few years, especially since the ending feels like an ending and not anti-climatic. High recommended for lovers of the young DiCaprio, swashbucklers, Dumas, or the other lead gentlemen.
After I got off with Mom, I finished The Pyrates. This goofy swashbuckler spoof by George MacDonald Fraser is pretty much Pirates of the Caribbean crossed with The Pirate Movie by way of Monty Python. Captain Ben Avery is our designated "hero" (but really something of a gentlemanly jerk) who is supposed to be taking a priceless crown to Madagascar. On the way, he falls for the gorgeous but spoiled rotten Lady Vanity. Also on board is Colonel Tom Blood, a real-life rogue and jewel thief who doesn't care about much besides his own hide, money, and easy women (in that order). The ship is attacked by pirates, who are there to rescue their slinky queen Sheba. The pirates separate the crown into six parts, send them off with their six captains, and turn Vanity over to slavers. Avery becomes determined to recover the crown, rescue his beloved, and defeat the pirates...never mind that Blood thinks he's basically nuts. The duo literally travel from England to South America to the Spanish Main and back again, with a stop in a native jungle village, as they chase the pirates and try to save the crown and the ladies.
I've loved this one since I first encountered it in high school. I used to take it out of Cape May Courthouse's main branch of the Cape May County Library once a summer. It's not for people looking for straight action fare or who don't get the swashbuckler jokes, but if you're a fan of pirate lore like me or just want to read a Mel Brooks-esque satire, this one can be found for a decent price on Amazon.com (which is how I got it several years ago).
I had a quick cereal and grapefruit breakfast before going online to check my PNC accounts. I was able to get my rent together and put a little money in savings. I wasn't happy with how upset the reply to my blog last night was - I posted my response there.
Spent the rest of the afternoon dusting and washing the windows. I ran a couple of rock CDs as I cleaned. Billy Joel's Greatest Hits I & II is a little superfluous for me, as I own a lot of his albums, but it's nice for when I don't feel like digging around for specific songs. I picked up Bruce Springsteen's The Rising right after it came out. I used to listen to it a lot when I lived in Wildwood. Five For Fighting's American Town has one of my favorite (relatively) recent rock numbers, "Superman (It's Not Easy to Be Me)."
I didn't finally finish the dusting until past 3:30. It was starting to mist outside, but I really, really had grocery shopping to do. I wanted to get my schedule, too. It was busy with rush hour people trying to avoid the heavy rain and flooding. I needed a lot, especially meat and produce - grapefruit, bananas, pre-cut asparagus and the Acme's own cabbage slaw in a container, breaded and spiced chicken, shrimp. Restocked crushed pineapple, plain yogurt, butter, milk, and chocolate chips. The clearance racks are laden with Christmas leftovers. I grabbed a box of Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Tea for iced tea and four packets of that Mott's Hot Apple Cider mix, plus a box of Lipton Black Pearl pyramid tea.
I'm not entirely happy with my schedule. On one hand, while I still have a fair amount of hours for this time of year (21) and the latest I work is 7:30 on Monday, I don't have another day off after today until Thursday! On the other hand, I have three days off in a row. While I'm glad to have the extra time to get some things organized here and get a lot of work done, I wish they'd start separating my days off. I have the feeling that this is part of the reason I've been so stressed lately.
The shower was getting heavier as I rode home. I arrived very wet. When I finally got in, I put everything away, then had the shrimp and slaw from the Acme with brown rice for dinner. Ran the 1998 The Man In the Iron Mask as I ate. Louis the 14th (Leonard DiCaprio) is the new king of France, but he's also an arrogant pain and a louse with a taste for other men's women. Aramis (Jeremy Irons) and Porthos (Geraud Depardeu) feel that he's getting out of hand, especially after he gives the starving people of Paris spoiled food and sends the son of Athos (John Malcovitch) to die in battle, just so he can get the lad's fiancee in bed. They rescue Louis' look-alike brother (DiCaprio again) from the Bastille and train him to replace the wayward ruler. Their old friend D'Artagnan (Gabriel Byrne), however, is devoted to the real king, and will do anything to keep him on the throne.
I saw part of this with Mom in the late 90s after it debuted on cable and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it, since I'm not normally a fan of DiCaprio (especially in his early Titanic teen pretty-boy days). While DiCaprio is a bit stiff and out of place, the four lead Musketeers take their rolls with all the relish of veterans, especially French comedian Depardeu as the lovable Porthos. I liked it a lot more than the Richard Chamberlain version I dubbed a few years, especially since the ending feels like an ending and not anti-climatic. High recommended for lovers of the young DiCaprio, swashbucklers, Dumas, or the other lead gentlemen.
Thursday, January 09, 2014
Are You In, Or Out?
I was up very late last night, something I haven't done in a while on a weekday. I didn't have any plans today that had to be done right away. When I did get moving, I put on some fourth-season Sailor Moon as I ate Dark Chocolate Cranberry Muffins for breakfast. Serena, Rini, and the other Inner Soldiers take a free ballet course with a handsome instructor. Their teacher is also training his girlfriend for the role of Giselle in their upcoming production of the tragic ballet, but it's not going well. Fish Eye of the Amazon Trio also joins the classes. She seems to enchant the teacher, much to the shock of his girlfriend. Serena and Rini do their best to play matchmakers...and make sure these lovers don't end up like the ones in Giselle!
I finally headed out my with my very full laundry bag in the old cart around 11:30. It was a gorgeous day, sunny, windless, and probably in the mid-30s, normal for January in southern New Jersey. Most of the ice was melting in the warmer sun; I dodged the patches that were too thick to melt fast.
I stopped at the Oaklyn Library first. The librarian had some kind of news cast on. I hadn't had the radio on this morning and had no idea what had happened until the librarian explained it. Aids of New Jersey Governor Christie shut down lanes in the George Washington Bridge and caused a huge traffic jam that cost a life in order to get back at the Mayor of Fort Lee in North Jersey for not endorsing Christie during his campaign last year. That's just about the dumbest thing I have ever heard a politician do. Christie was apologizing all over the place. It was really weird.
The library needed quite a bit of work. The adult DVDs weren't too bad, but the kids' titles needed a bit of organizing. The board books were a mess. I reorganized almost the entire separate board book shelf. Nothing was where it should have been.
I finally headed out around quarter of 1. I'd put off a laundry run for way too long. I wanted to get it in yesterday, but finally decided I got started too late. Christie was just finishing his speech as I came in and got my change. It was relatively busy, though not as bad as it was the week of Christmas. I was able to get a washer and a drier and even put in a little more time on the drier than I usually do, given the extra-large load I had this week (bath and kitchen towels and Christmas linen, in addition to uniforms and normal clothes).
When I got in, I first had a late lunch of leftovers as I finished out Sailor Moon's fourth season "Amazon Trio" run. Mina takes Tiger's Eye and Hawk's Eye for a ride when she dates them both at the same time. Lita falls hard for Tiger's Eye when he dances with her at a prom. Even after he abandons her, she's convinced it's love at first sight...until the others discover it's a Dead Moon Circus plot. Fish Eye tries to get Darien for fall for her, but he's crazy about Serena. When Fish Eye tries to figure out why, she discovers why she and the other Amazon Trio members don't have dreams of their own...and what Zirconia has in store for them if they keep failing.
Moved to Ocean's Eleven as I cleaned the kitchen. This remake of the 1960 "Rat Pack" vehicle takes us to a far more modern Vegas. Con Man Danny Ocean (George Clooney) still wants to pull the biggest con of all on three real Vegas casinos, here owned by a sleazy corporate raider (Andy Garcia). In truth, the real reason Ocean wants to pull the chips over the guy's eyes is he wants his smart wife Tess (Julia Roberts). Can his group manage to get 80,000 out of three of the biggest casinos in Vegas, without Garcia catching on....or catching them?
This is one of the few remakes in cinema history to far surpass the original in quality. As with the original, it's pure popcorn fun, but there's more action, it moves faster, and you actually get to see the heist as it's being pulled, instead of spending a chunk of the movie behind pianos. There's a comparable sense of style at work here - you still feel a little hipper having watched it. If you want in, this is the cast to join. I haven't seen the two sequels - I've heard they weren't quite as good, but were enjoyable in their own way.
Finished out the night with animation as I baked Pineapple Drop Cookies, then made Pasta and Meatballs with honey-glazed carrots for dinner. The Looney Tunes had their own encounters with gamblers, gambling, and hotels. A poor cat can't seem to avoid the bite of the Gambling Bug in "Early To Bet," even though he keeps losing to a dog who makes him play for nasty "penalties." Bugs is nabbed by two thugs when he inadvertently witnesses a robbery in "Bugs and Thugs," then does everything he can to alert the police to their presence. Sylvester tries to get Tweety out of his and Granny's hotel room in "Canary Row," but Granny doesn't make that easy!
I finally headed out my with my very full laundry bag in the old cart around 11:30. It was a gorgeous day, sunny, windless, and probably in the mid-30s, normal for January in southern New Jersey. Most of the ice was melting in the warmer sun; I dodged the patches that were too thick to melt fast.
I stopped at the Oaklyn Library first. The librarian had some kind of news cast on. I hadn't had the radio on this morning and had no idea what had happened until the librarian explained it. Aids of New Jersey Governor Christie shut down lanes in the George Washington Bridge and caused a huge traffic jam that cost a life in order to get back at the Mayor of Fort Lee in North Jersey for not endorsing Christie during his campaign last year. That's just about the dumbest thing I have ever heard a politician do. Christie was apologizing all over the place. It was really weird.
The library needed quite a bit of work. The adult DVDs weren't too bad, but the kids' titles needed a bit of organizing. The board books were a mess. I reorganized almost the entire separate board book shelf. Nothing was where it should have been.
I finally headed out around quarter of 1. I'd put off a laundry run for way too long. I wanted to get it in yesterday, but finally decided I got started too late. Christie was just finishing his speech as I came in and got my change. It was relatively busy, though not as bad as it was the week of Christmas. I was able to get a washer and a drier and even put in a little more time on the drier than I usually do, given the extra-large load I had this week (bath and kitchen towels and Christmas linen, in addition to uniforms and normal clothes).
When I got in, I first had a late lunch of leftovers as I finished out Sailor Moon's fourth season "Amazon Trio" run. Mina takes Tiger's Eye and Hawk's Eye for a ride when she dates them both at the same time. Lita falls hard for Tiger's Eye when he dances with her at a prom. Even after he abandons her, she's convinced it's love at first sight...until the others discover it's a Dead Moon Circus plot. Fish Eye tries to get Darien for fall for her, but he's crazy about Serena. When Fish Eye tries to figure out why, she discovers why she and the other Amazon Trio members don't have dreams of their own...and what Zirconia has in store for them if they keep failing.
Moved to Ocean's Eleven as I cleaned the kitchen. This remake of the 1960 "Rat Pack" vehicle takes us to a far more modern Vegas. Con Man Danny Ocean (George Clooney) still wants to pull the biggest con of all on three real Vegas casinos, here owned by a sleazy corporate raider (Andy Garcia). In truth, the real reason Ocean wants to pull the chips over the guy's eyes is he wants his smart wife Tess (Julia Roberts). Can his group manage to get 80,000 out of three of the biggest casinos in Vegas, without Garcia catching on....or catching them?
This is one of the few remakes in cinema history to far surpass the original in quality. As with the original, it's pure popcorn fun, but there's more action, it moves faster, and you actually get to see the heist as it's being pulled, instead of spending a chunk of the movie behind pianos. There's a comparable sense of style at work here - you still feel a little hipper having watched it. If you want in, this is the cast to join. I haven't seen the two sequels - I've heard they weren't quite as good, but were enjoyable in their own way.
Finished out the night with animation as I baked Pineapple Drop Cookies, then made Pasta and Meatballs with honey-glazed carrots for dinner. The Looney Tunes had their own encounters with gamblers, gambling, and hotels. A poor cat can't seem to avoid the bite of the Gambling Bug in "Early To Bet," even though he keeps losing to a dog who makes him play for nasty "penalties." Bugs is nabbed by two thugs when he inadvertently witnesses a robbery in "Bugs and Thugs," then does everything he can to alert the police to their presence. Sylvester tries to get Tweety out of his and Granny's hotel room in "Canary Row," but Granny doesn't make that easy!
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
Memories are Magic
Started the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic set yesterday and finished it this morning. While I don't understand how guys got into it, I can generally see why it's been so well-received. It's very well-written, with some of the most full-fleshed characters in any kid-oriented series. My favorites are sassy Applejack and her enormous family and sweet, scholarly Twilight Sparkle. Subsequently, my favorite episodes revolved around them.
Applejack is put in charge of the "Apple Family Reunion," but she makes too many activities that has her family getting worn out rather than enjoying the company. Poor Twilight Sparkle feels left out when her friends all have jobs to do during the "Winter Round Up," but discovers that organization is the most important job of all when it looks like spring will be late due to everyone in Ponyville fighting over which job is bigger. Another cute episode was the last one. Nutty Pinkie Pie wants to have fun with all her friends in "Too Many Pinkie Pies," but there's so many invitations! She can't be in more than one place at a time...or can she? When an ancient spell gives her clones, she thinks she has the way to have all the fun she could ever want, until the clones multiply.
Another goal of mine is to finally do some craft projects I've put off for a while, starting with a new collage. I made one a couple of years ago from various catalogs that I accumulate, but I never had a chance to make another one until today. I cut out photos from the four catalogs Vermont Country Store sent me, the two from American Girl, one each from J.C Penney and L.L Bean. I ended up with photos of several dolls (including Molly, Kit, Rebecca, and a lovely pose of a doll skating from AG's Christmas wish release), all of whom represent my fondness for dolls, skating, and the past. There was a well-dressed woman in a simple outfit, a popcorn maker, a coconut cake and several toys from the Vermont Country Store, and the Frozen dolls - I dress simply, love my cooking, and enjoy cartoons. The little girls in costume remind me of how my sisters and I loved to play dress-up when we were younger. I may see if I can try to make one of these once a season to clear out back catalogs from now on.
The collage took longer than I'd hoped, and I was almost late for work again. I wish I'd stayed at home. Work was a total pain in the rear. People who had been stuck inside for nearly a week thanks to the fluctuating weather were getting cranky and frustrated, and they were taking it out on us. I was fussed at and whined at all day long. I was so glad when one of the college boys came in for my relief and I could head home.
Did some more kids' shows when I got in while making Chocolate-Cranberry Cupcakes, and then leftover ham and roasted Brussels sprouts for dinner. Some of my favorite Max & Ruby episodes revolve around New Year's and the end of the holiday season. "Max's Christmas Passed" has Ruby feeling a little down when she has to take down the Christmas decorations. Max does his best to make his sister feel better about the end of the holiday. Max and Ruby are excited about being able to stay up until midnight for the first time in "Max's New Year," but Max is even more excited about the clock-shaped cookies Grandma baked. In "Ruby's Gingerbread House," Ruby and Louise want to set up a beautiful gingerbread dwelling, but their icing just isn't sticky enough to hold the walls together. Max, on the other hand, just wants them to try his gummy worms.
The Backyardigans have more fun in sci-fi and action cliches. You can't stop the cops in "Cops and Robots," as space police-critters Tyrone and Uniqua chase bad 'bots Pablo and Tasha across the galaxy. Uniqua and Pablo have even more trouble moving Sultan Tyrone's magic objects, even with the help of Genie Austin, in "Movers of Arabia."
Applejack is put in charge of the "Apple Family Reunion," but she makes too many activities that has her family getting worn out rather than enjoying the company. Poor Twilight Sparkle feels left out when her friends all have jobs to do during the "Winter Round Up," but discovers that organization is the most important job of all when it looks like spring will be late due to everyone in Ponyville fighting over which job is bigger. Another cute episode was the last one. Nutty Pinkie Pie wants to have fun with all her friends in "Too Many Pinkie Pies," but there's so many invitations! She can't be in more than one place at a time...or can she? When an ancient spell gives her clones, she thinks she has the way to have all the fun she could ever want, until the clones multiply.
Another goal of mine is to finally do some craft projects I've put off for a while, starting with a new collage. I made one a couple of years ago from various catalogs that I accumulate, but I never had a chance to make another one until today. I cut out photos from the four catalogs Vermont Country Store sent me, the two from American Girl, one each from J.C Penney and L.L Bean. I ended up with photos of several dolls (including Molly, Kit, Rebecca, and a lovely pose of a doll skating from AG's Christmas wish release), all of whom represent my fondness for dolls, skating, and the past. There was a well-dressed woman in a simple outfit, a popcorn maker, a coconut cake and several toys from the Vermont Country Store, and the Frozen dolls - I dress simply, love my cooking, and enjoy cartoons. The little girls in costume remind me of how my sisters and I loved to play dress-up when we were younger. I may see if I can try to make one of these once a season to clear out back catalogs from now on.
The collage took longer than I'd hoped, and I was almost late for work again. I wish I'd stayed at home. Work was a total pain in the rear. People who had been stuck inside for nearly a week thanks to the fluctuating weather were getting cranky and frustrated, and they were taking it out on us. I was fussed at and whined at all day long. I was so glad when one of the college boys came in for my relief and I could head home.
Did some more kids' shows when I got in while making Chocolate-Cranberry Cupcakes, and then leftover ham and roasted Brussels sprouts for dinner. Some of my favorite Max & Ruby episodes revolve around New Year's and the end of the holiday season. "Max's Christmas Passed" has Ruby feeling a little down when she has to take down the Christmas decorations. Max does his best to make his sister feel better about the end of the holiday. Max and Ruby are excited about being able to stay up until midnight for the first time in "Max's New Year," but Max is even more excited about the clock-shaped cookies Grandma baked. In "Ruby's Gingerbread House," Ruby and Louise want to set up a beautiful gingerbread dwelling, but their icing just isn't sticky enough to hold the walls together. Max, on the other hand, just wants them to try his gummy worms.
The Backyardigans have more fun in sci-fi and action cliches. You can't stop the cops in "Cops and Robots," as space police-critters Tyrone and Uniqua chase bad 'bots Pablo and Tasha across the galaxy. Uniqua and Pablo have even more trouble moving Sultan Tyrone's magic objects, even with the help of Genie Austin, in "Movers of Arabia."
Tuesday, January 07, 2014
Jack Frost Nipping at Your Nose
I overslept this morning, something I haven't done in a long time. Consequently, I was late getting out the door to run errands. Maybe it was just as well. Today was not the right time to be lingering outdoors. It was bitterly cold when I finally made it out the door. I knew I had a lot of errands I couldn't skip, so I dressed warmly, layering my thick black knit pants over stockings, socks over the stockings, sheepskin-lined boots over the socks, and my heavy red tunic sweater over my red turtleneck. I wore the stocking cap Mom knitted me a couple of years ago, but I might have been better off in my earmuffs. The hat didn't cover my ears very well.
While I was able to ride on the road, there were still problems getting around. Not only was it still quite blustery, but ice had coated some sidewalks and curbs where snow melted and ran off the hillsides, then froze again. I did my best to dodge the ice and the traffic on Cuthbert as I made my way to Haddon Township Library for my first volunteering session there in over two weeks.
Actually, I was mainly there to return those DVDs I took out the last time I was there. I mostly did what I could with the still-overflowing children's DVDs shelves. Many older DVDs had been replaced by new copies, but the librarians won't or can't take the old copies out of circulation. An elderly volunteer who was shelving children's books had a good idea. Why not pull the older copy and put them on the cart used for DVDs that need to be shelved? That way, they'll be off the shelf, but people can still take them out, and the librarians will see just how bad the overflow is. Even with her suggestions and reorganizing all of the various series, I still had Spongebob Square Pants sets that didn't fit. The other thing they really need to do but seem reluctant to try is weeding out the older titles of certain series. Do they really need 60 sets each of Scooby Doo, Bob the Builder, Dora the Explorer, Thomas the Tank Engine, SpongeBob Square Pants, Pokemon, and Sesame Street?
It took me so long to do the kids' DVDs, I barely had enough time to shelve the adult titles and take out a few of my own. Haddon Township had gotten the newest Barbie As/Is title in, this one another adventure with her sisters, A Pony Tale. Speaking of horses, I've heard so much about My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, I had to grab the new set they'd just gotten in. (They've had Equestria Girls for a couple of months, but wanted to see the characters as ponies first.) The Max & Ruby set Everybunny Loves Winter features stories about New Year's and how the bunny siblings handle the end of the holidays. Also found the just re-released Winnie the Pooh: A Very Pooh New Year.
My counseling appointment was at 1. I dashed out of the Library at almost 12:40. Not the brightest thing I ever did. The ice was especially bad on the sidewalk going past Haddon Township's junior high - I had to walk it on the street in a lot of places because the ice was too thick to ride on! Thankfully, it was mostly better in Haddonfield, but I was still ten minutes late.
Mrs. Stahl said she was more worried than angry. When I did finally get in and shed my winter gear, we discussed my eventful holidays, the past two weeks, and how I deal with the winter weather. I told her what Mom told me about my being "emotional special needs." Story of my life - I'm always in the middle, neither average enough for "regular" school or special enough for "special ed" school. It's why I have such a hard time fitting in. I never feel like I'm quite right - not enough of one thing to belong to that group, not enough of another to belong to this group. When everyone around you is this or that, what do you do when you're the "or?"
I have got to get out of the Acme. I don't belong there. It's the wrong job for me. It doesn't suit my personality at all. Which leads me back to square one. I'm totally out of ideas. I'm not keen on taking any kind of classes, but then what? What jobs would suit me? Should I start my own business? Should I do what I used to do and go from office to office, hand them a resume, and beg them for a job? What am I good at? What do I want to do? I just don't know. All I know is it isn't working retail.
Mrs. Stahl basically said "get a hold of Stockton when they get back into session and consider substitute teaching." On one hand, Amanda does it, it might earn some extra money, and I do like working with younger kids. On the other hand, it would require messing with the Acme schedule, and that's not always possible. I don't know what days I'll have off from week to week.
I'm pretty fed up with Stockton right now. I wasn't happy with them when they didn't help me much when I was going there. I am going to call them when they start up again and see if I can set up another appointment. Their career center site is useless. Lots of companies listed...with no jobs, and very little that actually interests me. And I'm not really good at the traditional "send out your resume and schmooze everyone you know for a job" approach anyway. I don't know how to sell myself well enough to pull that off. I would prefer some ideas that are more outside the box.
I went to the Bistro at Haddonfield for lunch after I left Shelly Stahl. They were surprisingly busy for 2PM, with a varied crowd of college students, professionals from the offices on King's Highway, and old people avoiding the biting chill. Despite the crowd, my wrap, fries, and hot chocolate came within 10 minutes of ordering them. I had a delicious Jerk Chicken Wrap, baked with melted provolone cheese, red and green peppers, and lightly spiced chicken chunks. The fries were incredible, thin and perfectly fried, just as good as McDonald's (without the greasy container). The hot chocolate was a little disappointing, probably just Swiss Miss, but given the weather, it was something I rather badly needed.
Went straight home after that. Thanks to all that ice and the traffic on Haddon Avenue, Cuthbert Road, and the White Horse Pike, I left at quarter of 3 and didn't get in until past 4. I wasn't originally going to cut through Newton River Park, but I did anyway to avoid the traffic on Cuthbert. The mostly-frozen river had an austere beauty that sparkled against the waning sunlight. Needless to say, the only other people I passed on my way home were another bike rider and a flock of Canadian geese who'd probably experienced worse temperatures in their native north.
(Oh, and Mrs. Stahl checked the weather app on her smartphone while I was there - it reported the temperature was 9 degrees. The marquee outside the Westmont Fire Department said 13, which is what most other reports here said.)
I had a package waiting for me in the mailbox when I got home. The final items of my Christmas Amazon.com order had arrived! I picked up the last two Rankin/Bass specials avalible on regular DVD that I don't have, Jack Frost and The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow. I ran the former as I got organized after my ride and made herbal tea to warm up my insides.
Jack Frost is basically Santa Claus Is Coming To Town crossed with a winter-oriented The Little Mermaid. This Jack is the head of the Winter Creatures, who snip snowflakes and send them down to Earth. He falls for a beautiful human girl after he saves her from going over the falls and implores Father Winter, who is in charge of all the Winter Creatures, to make him human. He agrees to make Jack and his friends Snip and Holly human until spring. Jack will only stay human if he can get a bag of gold, a horse, a home, and a loving wife. Winning the pretty girl becomes more complicated when she falls for a handsome knight, and their poor Russian village is threatened by the evil Cossack King, who wants the girl for his bride.
The third-to-last Rankin/Bass holiday special is an oddity in their canon in several respects. First of all, while there is a rather sweet Christmas sequence and song, the majority of the show is set on and around Groundhog's Day (hence the narrator, Buddy Hackett as Pardon Me Pete the Groundhog). Second, this is one of the very few Rankin/Bass specials with a bittersweet, rather sad ending. For older kids and their parents, this is one of my favorite 70s Rankin/Bass specials and really deserves to be better-known.
Moved to The Story of the First Christmas Snow as I gave the bathroom a desperately-needed scrubbing. This is a shorter, simpler tale from the mid-70s. A little orphan shepherd boy named Lucas is struck by lightening that blinds him. He's rescued and nursed back to health by kindly Sister Teresa (Angela Landsbury, who also narrates). While the priest in her parish (Cyril Ritchard) tries to figure out what to do with Lucas, Sister Teresa, their dog, and the other kids in the town help Lucas cope. All Lucas wants is to feel a white Christmas, just like the ones Sister Teresa describes in her Christmas cards. Little does he know that he and Sister Teresa may get their wish...
I'm not a big fan of this one, but I bought it anyway to finish out my Rankin/Bass collection. While I do like Lucas' touching relationship with Sister Teresa and the dog, it's a little too melodramatic for my taste, especially the ending. It doesn't work nearly as well as the other Rankin/Bass religious specials, the two Little Drummer Boy tales and Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey. For Rankin/Bass fans only; those looking for religious Christmas programming will want to go to the earlier stories first.
Ran Barbie and Her Sisters In a Pony Tale as I finished the bathroom and started a broccoli, mushroom, and cheese omelet for dinner. Barbie, Stacie, Skipper, and Chelsie are now in Switzerland, visiting their aunt's riding academy. The trip doesn't go well at first. Stacie thinks she can master riding as well as every other sport, but discovers handling a living horse is much different than handling a skateboard. Chelsie is upset that she can't ride the big horses, like her sisters. Skipper spends most of the trip online and on her tablet, avoiding anything but blogging. Barbie just can't find a horse she's able to bond with...until she encounters a mysterious white stallion with a pink streak in its mane in the Alps. While the nasty riding teacher at the next school over insists it's just a myth, Barbie eventually befriends it. Horse and rider eventually ends up saving the school and teaching everyone a lesson in friendship in the process.
While it's not bad, I didn't like it as much as the first story of Barbie and her sisters. I really would have liked to have seen more of her sisters and less of the horses, and the whole "magical" aspect seemed a tad tacked-on. I have the feeling horse-crazy little girls will be more into this one than me.
While I was able to ride on the road, there were still problems getting around. Not only was it still quite blustery, but ice had coated some sidewalks and curbs where snow melted and ran off the hillsides, then froze again. I did my best to dodge the ice and the traffic on Cuthbert as I made my way to Haddon Township Library for my first volunteering session there in over two weeks.
Actually, I was mainly there to return those DVDs I took out the last time I was there. I mostly did what I could with the still-overflowing children's DVDs shelves. Many older DVDs had been replaced by new copies, but the librarians won't or can't take the old copies out of circulation. An elderly volunteer who was shelving children's books had a good idea. Why not pull the older copy and put them on the cart used for DVDs that need to be shelved? That way, they'll be off the shelf, but people can still take them out, and the librarians will see just how bad the overflow is. Even with her suggestions and reorganizing all of the various series, I still had Spongebob Square Pants sets that didn't fit. The other thing they really need to do but seem reluctant to try is weeding out the older titles of certain series. Do they really need 60 sets each of Scooby Doo, Bob the Builder, Dora the Explorer, Thomas the Tank Engine, SpongeBob Square Pants, Pokemon, and Sesame Street?
It took me so long to do the kids' DVDs, I barely had enough time to shelve the adult titles and take out a few of my own. Haddon Township had gotten the newest Barbie As/Is title in, this one another adventure with her sisters, A Pony Tale. Speaking of horses, I've heard so much about My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, I had to grab the new set they'd just gotten in. (They've had Equestria Girls for a couple of months, but wanted to see the characters as ponies first.) The Max & Ruby set Everybunny Loves Winter features stories about New Year's and how the bunny siblings handle the end of the holidays. Also found the just re-released Winnie the Pooh: A Very Pooh New Year.
My counseling appointment was at 1. I dashed out of the Library at almost 12:40. Not the brightest thing I ever did. The ice was especially bad on the sidewalk going past Haddon Township's junior high - I had to walk it on the street in a lot of places because the ice was too thick to ride on! Thankfully, it was mostly better in Haddonfield, but I was still ten minutes late.
Mrs. Stahl said she was more worried than angry. When I did finally get in and shed my winter gear, we discussed my eventful holidays, the past two weeks, and how I deal with the winter weather. I told her what Mom told me about my being "emotional special needs." Story of my life - I'm always in the middle, neither average enough for "regular" school or special enough for "special ed" school. It's why I have such a hard time fitting in. I never feel like I'm quite right - not enough of one thing to belong to that group, not enough of another to belong to this group. When everyone around you is this or that, what do you do when you're the "or?"
I have got to get out of the Acme. I don't belong there. It's the wrong job for me. It doesn't suit my personality at all. Which leads me back to square one. I'm totally out of ideas. I'm not keen on taking any kind of classes, but then what? What jobs would suit me? Should I start my own business? Should I do what I used to do and go from office to office, hand them a resume, and beg them for a job? What am I good at? What do I want to do? I just don't know. All I know is it isn't working retail.
Mrs. Stahl basically said "get a hold of Stockton when they get back into session and consider substitute teaching." On one hand, Amanda does it, it might earn some extra money, and I do like working with younger kids. On the other hand, it would require messing with the Acme schedule, and that's not always possible. I don't know what days I'll have off from week to week.
I'm pretty fed up with Stockton right now. I wasn't happy with them when they didn't help me much when I was going there. I am going to call them when they start up again and see if I can set up another appointment. Their career center site is useless. Lots of companies listed...with no jobs, and very little that actually interests me. And I'm not really good at the traditional "send out your resume and schmooze everyone you know for a job" approach anyway. I don't know how to sell myself well enough to pull that off. I would prefer some ideas that are more outside the box.
I went to the Bistro at Haddonfield for lunch after I left Shelly Stahl. They were surprisingly busy for 2PM, with a varied crowd of college students, professionals from the offices on King's Highway, and old people avoiding the biting chill. Despite the crowd, my wrap, fries, and hot chocolate came within 10 minutes of ordering them. I had a delicious Jerk Chicken Wrap, baked with melted provolone cheese, red and green peppers, and lightly spiced chicken chunks. The fries were incredible, thin and perfectly fried, just as good as McDonald's (without the greasy container). The hot chocolate was a little disappointing, probably just Swiss Miss, but given the weather, it was something I rather badly needed.
Went straight home after that. Thanks to all that ice and the traffic on Haddon Avenue, Cuthbert Road, and the White Horse Pike, I left at quarter of 3 and didn't get in until past 4. I wasn't originally going to cut through Newton River Park, but I did anyway to avoid the traffic on Cuthbert. The mostly-frozen river had an austere beauty that sparkled against the waning sunlight. Needless to say, the only other people I passed on my way home were another bike rider and a flock of Canadian geese who'd probably experienced worse temperatures in their native north.
(Oh, and Mrs. Stahl checked the weather app on her smartphone while I was there - it reported the temperature was 9 degrees. The marquee outside the Westmont Fire Department said 13, which is what most other reports here said.)
I had a package waiting for me in the mailbox when I got home. The final items of my Christmas Amazon.com order had arrived! I picked up the last two Rankin/Bass specials avalible on regular DVD that I don't have, Jack Frost and The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow. I ran the former as I got organized after my ride and made herbal tea to warm up my insides.
Jack Frost is basically Santa Claus Is Coming To Town crossed with a winter-oriented The Little Mermaid. This Jack is the head of the Winter Creatures, who snip snowflakes and send them down to Earth. He falls for a beautiful human girl after he saves her from going over the falls and implores Father Winter, who is in charge of all the Winter Creatures, to make him human. He agrees to make Jack and his friends Snip and Holly human until spring. Jack will only stay human if he can get a bag of gold, a horse, a home, and a loving wife. Winning the pretty girl becomes more complicated when she falls for a handsome knight, and their poor Russian village is threatened by the evil Cossack King, who wants the girl for his bride.
The third-to-last Rankin/Bass holiday special is an oddity in their canon in several respects. First of all, while there is a rather sweet Christmas sequence and song, the majority of the show is set on and around Groundhog's Day (hence the narrator, Buddy Hackett as Pardon Me Pete the Groundhog). Second, this is one of the very few Rankin/Bass specials with a bittersweet, rather sad ending. For older kids and their parents, this is one of my favorite 70s Rankin/Bass specials and really deserves to be better-known.
Moved to The Story of the First Christmas Snow as I gave the bathroom a desperately-needed scrubbing. This is a shorter, simpler tale from the mid-70s. A little orphan shepherd boy named Lucas is struck by lightening that blinds him. He's rescued and nursed back to health by kindly Sister Teresa (Angela Landsbury, who also narrates). While the priest in her parish (Cyril Ritchard) tries to figure out what to do with Lucas, Sister Teresa, their dog, and the other kids in the town help Lucas cope. All Lucas wants is to feel a white Christmas, just like the ones Sister Teresa describes in her Christmas cards. Little does he know that he and Sister Teresa may get their wish...
I'm not a big fan of this one, but I bought it anyway to finish out my Rankin/Bass collection. While I do like Lucas' touching relationship with Sister Teresa and the dog, it's a little too melodramatic for my taste, especially the ending. It doesn't work nearly as well as the other Rankin/Bass religious specials, the two Little Drummer Boy tales and Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey. For Rankin/Bass fans only; those looking for religious Christmas programming will want to go to the earlier stories first.
Ran Barbie and Her Sisters In a Pony Tale as I finished the bathroom and started a broccoli, mushroom, and cheese omelet for dinner. Barbie, Stacie, Skipper, and Chelsie are now in Switzerland, visiting their aunt's riding academy. The trip doesn't go well at first. Stacie thinks she can master riding as well as every other sport, but discovers handling a living horse is much different than handling a skateboard. Chelsie is upset that she can't ride the big horses, like her sisters. Skipper spends most of the trip online and on her tablet, avoiding anything but blogging. Barbie just can't find a horse she's able to bond with...until she encounters a mysterious white stallion with a pink streak in its mane in the Alps. While the nasty riding teacher at the next school over insists it's just a myth, Barbie eventually befriends it. Horse and rider eventually ends up saving the school and teaching everyone a lesson in friendship in the process.
While it's not bad, I didn't like it as much as the first story of Barbie and her sisters. I really would have liked to have seen more of her sisters and less of the horses, and the whole "magical" aspect seemed a tad tacked-on. I have the feeling horse-crazy little girls will be more into this one than me.
Monday, January 06, 2014
Here Comes the Cold
Began a warm, rainy morning by putting away the Christmas decorations that go in the red felt Santa Bag. These are the ones I pull out first - the Nativity, the garlands, the coasters, the mistletoe, the wreath for the front door and plaid bow for my bedroom door. It takes a lot less time to take this stuff down than it does to put them up, but I started late and didn't have much time to get ready for work afterwards.
I did squeeze Jelly's Last Jam in before I left. Gregory Hines was the star of another tragic tale of a musician. Unlike the boys of Forever Plaid, Jelly Roll Morton was a real person, an early pioneer of ragtime and jazz who spent most of his early life bragging about his musical prowess and most of his later life trying to regain his Roaring Twenties-era fame. He was popular in Chicago and his native New Orleans but never caught on in New York, where the style was already shifting to swing, big band, and boogie-woogie by the Depression. As wonderful as Gregory Hines is as Morton (he won a Tony for his performance), I have the feeling this one loses something when you can't see the spectacular tap dancing that garnered so much praise in the early 90s.
I finally made it to work at 11. I wish I hadn't. Work was crazy for most of the afternoon. People wanted to get their shopping done before the cold front came in. We also have people restocking their larders after the vacations, visitors, and kids off of school last week and the last of the beginning-of-the-month people. People were once again obnoxious and annoying, and I was stressed and frustrated. I was about ready to tear out my hair when the manager said I could shut down and she would send my reliefs elsewhere.
I went straight home after work. I would have put off changing the dolls into regular clothes until tomorrow, but the back room isn't heated. If it's going to be freezing tomorrow, that's the last place I'll want to be. All of the AG dolls were changed into the warmest clothes they own. Samantha wears her gray "Buster Brown" School Dress. Put Josefina in the hand-made pale blue-violent dress and flowered hat I got off eBay the other day and wrapped her rebozo (woven wrap) around her shoulders. Felicity wears her emerald-green Riding Habit and the tri-corned hat with the feather. Molly wears her After School Outfit corduroys and plaid flannel shirt layered with the red sweater from her hula costume. Jessa sports the stretch corduroys that were sold with the "First Day" meet outfit in the mid-90s, the turtleneck from the late 90s AG Girl Scout uniform, the navy blue hoodie from the "Drawstring Cargoes and Plaid Shirt," and the high-top sneakers from the first Blue Jeans Basics set. All of the Sailor Moon dolls were returned to their original uniforms or dresses.
After that, I had a quick dinner of baked ham and roasted Brussels sprouts before going online.
I did squeeze Jelly's Last Jam in before I left. Gregory Hines was the star of another tragic tale of a musician. Unlike the boys of Forever Plaid, Jelly Roll Morton was a real person, an early pioneer of ragtime and jazz who spent most of his early life bragging about his musical prowess and most of his later life trying to regain his Roaring Twenties-era fame. He was popular in Chicago and his native New Orleans but never caught on in New York, where the style was already shifting to swing, big band, and boogie-woogie by the Depression. As wonderful as Gregory Hines is as Morton (he won a Tony for his performance), I have the feeling this one loses something when you can't see the spectacular tap dancing that garnered so much praise in the early 90s.
I finally made it to work at 11. I wish I hadn't. Work was crazy for most of the afternoon. People wanted to get their shopping done before the cold front came in. We also have people restocking their larders after the vacations, visitors, and kids off of school last week and the last of the beginning-of-the-month people. People were once again obnoxious and annoying, and I was stressed and frustrated. I was about ready to tear out my hair when the manager said I could shut down and she would send my reliefs elsewhere.
I went straight home after work. I would have put off changing the dolls into regular clothes until tomorrow, but the back room isn't heated. If it's going to be freezing tomorrow, that's the last place I'll want to be. All of the AG dolls were changed into the warmest clothes they own. Samantha wears her gray "Buster Brown" School Dress. Put Josefina in the hand-made pale blue-violent dress and flowered hat I got off eBay the other day and wrapped her rebozo (woven wrap) around her shoulders. Felicity wears her emerald-green Riding Habit and the tri-corned hat with the feather. Molly wears her After School Outfit corduroys and plaid flannel shirt layered with the red sweater from her hula costume. Jessa sports the stretch corduroys that were sold with the "First Day" meet outfit in the mid-90s, the turtleneck from the late 90s AG Girl Scout uniform, the navy blue hoodie from the "Drawstring Cargoes and Plaid Shirt," and the high-top sneakers from the first Blue Jeans Basics set. All of the Sailor Moon dolls were returned to their original uniforms or dresses.
After that, I had a quick dinner of baked ham and roasted Brussels sprouts before going online.
Sunday, January 05, 2014
Like Dreamers Do
Started out a wet, warmer morning with the first Brunch With the Beatles of the year. This week, Brunch went way back to the Beatles on the cusp of fame on New Year's Day 1962 with their auditions for Decca Records. They didn't make the cut, but it was certainly no fault of theirs. I'm not normally into the Beatles' earlier stuff, but where else are you going to hear them perform "The Sheik of Araby"? Other rare tunes recorded during this session included "Like Dreamers Do," "In Spite of All the Danger," and excellent versions of "That'll Be the Day," "Money (That's What I Want)," "Searchin'," and "Hello Little Girl."
I originally called Mom while I was finishing my Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes, but I didn't catch her then. I just shrugged and went into taking down the tree instead. It takes a lot less time to put the tree away than it does to pull it out. As with the display items, I wasn't really clearing much out. The only things I got rid of were the lights. I've had them since I bought them to put up on my window during my second year of college, which was almost 12 years ago. I bought an LED set from the Acme's 50% off Christmas sale on New Year's Day. Everything else was just repacked into various boxes or just placed straight into the container.
Mom called back as I was packing the wooden, plastic, and beaded ornaments in the round container I originally bought for cookies in 2012. She was washing up from breakfast when I called and hadn't heard me until she got my message on the answering machine. She spent her New Year's trying to keep the larder stocked. Dad's been off work, thanks to the weather, and she complained that he's literally eating her out of house and home, including polishing off the rest of the cookies she made.
I asked Mom something I've wanted to ask her for years. What am I? Am I mentally disabled? No, I'm not. She said I was diagnosed in 1991 as having "emotional special needs," and I was even on the lower spectrum of that. According to her, she withdrew me from Cape May Elementary because neither she nor I could handle the way I was treated by the other kids anymore or that most of the teachers weren't doing much to change it.
To this day, I have never understood what I did to the kids to make them bully me so incessantly. Mom says I was a happy, good-natured child who never did any harm to anyone. Everything went pretty well until third grade, when the teasing stepped up and my body started changing in ways my mind wasn't ready for. It would take another four or five years for my mind to catch up with a body that went into adolescence at age 9. Suddenly, I went from a happy child to an angry one. Why did the boys hate me? Why did the girls gossip about me? What did I do?
The teachers mostly didn't seem to get it at the time. Some of them did stand up for me, but by and large, they were older women who had been raised to believe that the body was sinful and bullying builds character. In the last 30 years, the world has discovered the hard way that bullying builds angry kids who often lash out at people or hurt themselves, not "character." I was constantly told to "ignore them," no matter how bad things got. Ignoring the problem doesn't make it go away. Mom got fed up with being told to ignore the problem and just moved me to the Special Services Middle School. I was surprised when she mentioned she had to get around a lot of red tape to do so. I figured the Cape May Elementary administration would be thrilled to get rid of what most of them probably regarded as a "problem child."
I was moved to Cape May County's Special Services Middle School in the fall of 1991. I wasn't really all that happy there, either. I still didn't feel like I fit in. Mom said that I did learn what she'd put me there to learn in the first place - how to deal with other kids. At the time, the only things I felt like I learned was I have a killer volleyball serve and don't mind playing a little rough floor hockey with the boys. (I could never understand why most of the other girls sat on the sidelines blabbing when there was a game going on!)
Mom once again suggested that I start looking into more hobbies and outside interests. Rose and Keefe had a rough time in Teitleman, Lower Township's junior high, but they both bounced back in high school. Rose became involved in softball, soccer, band, and Lower's award-winning mock trial team (they made the state championships two years running and the Nationals one year). Keefe later became a top drummer in the school's marching band and helped with sets and security for school plays and musicals. Keefe also started volunteering at the Battleship New Jersey late in junior high, which began his love affair with the Navy.
I'd like to do more "extracurricular activities," but I have three problems - time, money, and transportation. Most classes and sports here are in the afternoon or at night, when I'm usually working. There's the money problem, too. I can only afford so much and go so far. It doesn't help that I tend to lose interest quickly if a sport or class doesn't grab my attention right away or proves too difficult. I did like Shelly Stahl's suggestion of looking into volunteering for local theaters - I'll talk to her for further ideas. Lauren's big hobby is doing research on her ancestors, which might not be a bad idea, either. I'd also like to talk to the bead and yarn shop in Collingswood and see if they know of any local crocheting/knitting clubs.
Ran Forever Plaid and Five Guys Named Moe as I talked to Mom and finished putting away the rest of the tree, including the tree itself. Both of these shows are semi-revues that revolve around male vocal groups and the music of the mid-20th century. That's where the similarities end. Plaid's 50s pop songs are strung together by a psedo-tragic back story of the title group getting one last shot at the big time after they're killed in a car accident on their way to a lounge for their big break. Five Guys has a little more fun with 30s and 40s jazz and swing as the five Moes help a poor fellow who's been having a hard time with the ladies.
Thanks to the warmer weather, the packed ice that coated the streets yesterday was gone. I rode to work. That may not have been a good idea. The ice was gone, but the streets were still covered with slush, and no one ever clears the sidewalk on the Black Horse Pike. I had to dodge slush and drag my bike over piles of snow and was almost late for work.
Work was almost as busy as yesterday. While the weather was warmer, it's still the beginning of the month, and people are not only having Three King's Day and end-of-the-holiday-season parties, but are restocking as the kids (finally) go back to school tomorrow. They were also still cranky, grouchy, and obnoxious. I was so fed up by the end of my four hours, I asked to spend the last half-hour doing returns. Thankfully, it had slowed down by then, to the point where I was able to leave without a relief.
When I got home, I threw together tuna, broccoli, carrots, and the last of the chicken stock for fish and veggie soup and put on the Johnny Mathis On Broadway CD I got from Lauren for Christmas while moving two of the record crates back to where the tree was. Ironically, several of the numbers cover songs that either weren't originally written for musicals (like the title rock song) or for the show they were representing (the cast of Forever Plaid joined Mathis for "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries," which was written for The George White Scandals of 1931 but was supposed to represent Fosse). My favorite tracks were both lovely duets. Betty Buckley (Gloria Redmond on the Christmas episode of Remember WENN) joined Mathis for a touching medley of "Children Will Listen" from Into the Woods and "Our Children" from Ragtime. Stage and TV star Nell Carter came along for a rousing "Season of Love" from Rent.
I originally called Mom while I was finishing my Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes, but I didn't catch her then. I just shrugged and went into taking down the tree instead. It takes a lot less time to put the tree away than it does to pull it out. As with the display items, I wasn't really clearing much out. The only things I got rid of were the lights. I've had them since I bought them to put up on my window during my second year of college, which was almost 12 years ago. I bought an LED set from the Acme's 50% off Christmas sale on New Year's Day. Everything else was just repacked into various boxes or just placed straight into the container.
Mom called back as I was packing the wooden, plastic, and beaded ornaments in the round container I originally bought for cookies in 2012. She was washing up from breakfast when I called and hadn't heard me until she got my message on the answering machine. She spent her New Year's trying to keep the larder stocked. Dad's been off work, thanks to the weather, and she complained that he's literally eating her out of house and home, including polishing off the rest of the cookies she made.
I asked Mom something I've wanted to ask her for years. What am I? Am I mentally disabled? No, I'm not. She said I was diagnosed in 1991 as having "emotional special needs," and I was even on the lower spectrum of that. According to her, she withdrew me from Cape May Elementary because neither she nor I could handle the way I was treated by the other kids anymore or that most of the teachers weren't doing much to change it.
To this day, I have never understood what I did to the kids to make them bully me so incessantly. Mom says I was a happy, good-natured child who never did any harm to anyone. Everything went pretty well until third grade, when the teasing stepped up and my body started changing in ways my mind wasn't ready for. It would take another four or five years for my mind to catch up with a body that went into adolescence at age 9. Suddenly, I went from a happy child to an angry one. Why did the boys hate me? Why did the girls gossip about me? What did I do?
The teachers mostly didn't seem to get it at the time. Some of them did stand up for me, but by and large, they were older women who had been raised to believe that the body was sinful and bullying builds character. In the last 30 years, the world has discovered the hard way that bullying builds angry kids who often lash out at people or hurt themselves, not "character." I was constantly told to "ignore them," no matter how bad things got. Ignoring the problem doesn't make it go away. Mom got fed up with being told to ignore the problem and just moved me to the Special Services Middle School. I was surprised when she mentioned she had to get around a lot of red tape to do so. I figured the Cape May Elementary administration would be thrilled to get rid of what most of them probably regarded as a "problem child."
I was moved to Cape May County's Special Services Middle School in the fall of 1991. I wasn't really all that happy there, either. I still didn't feel like I fit in. Mom said that I did learn what she'd put me there to learn in the first place - how to deal with other kids. At the time, the only things I felt like I learned was I have a killer volleyball serve and don't mind playing a little rough floor hockey with the boys. (I could never understand why most of the other girls sat on the sidelines blabbing when there was a game going on!)
Mom once again suggested that I start looking into more hobbies and outside interests. Rose and Keefe had a rough time in Teitleman, Lower Township's junior high, but they both bounced back in high school. Rose became involved in softball, soccer, band, and Lower's award-winning mock trial team (they made the state championships two years running and the Nationals one year). Keefe later became a top drummer in the school's marching band and helped with sets and security for school plays and musicals. Keefe also started volunteering at the Battleship New Jersey late in junior high, which began his love affair with the Navy.
I'd like to do more "extracurricular activities," but I have three problems - time, money, and transportation. Most classes and sports here are in the afternoon or at night, when I'm usually working. There's the money problem, too. I can only afford so much and go so far. It doesn't help that I tend to lose interest quickly if a sport or class doesn't grab my attention right away or proves too difficult. I did like Shelly Stahl's suggestion of looking into volunteering for local theaters - I'll talk to her for further ideas. Lauren's big hobby is doing research on her ancestors, which might not be a bad idea, either. I'd also like to talk to the bead and yarn shop in Collingswood and see if they know of any local crocheting/knitting clubs.
Ran Forever Plaid and Five Guys Named Moe as I talked to Mom and finished putting away the rest of the tree, including the tree itself. Both of these shows are semi-revues that revolve around male vocal groups and the music of the mid-20th century. That's where the similarities end. Plaid's 50s pop songs are strung together by a psedo-tragic back story of the title group getting one last shot at the big time after they're killed in a car accident on their way to a lounge for their big break. Five Guys has a little more fun with 30s and 40s jazz and swing as the five Moes help a poor fellow who's been having a hard time with the ladies.
Thanks to the warmer weather, the packed ice that coated the streets yesterday was gone. I rode to work. That may not have been a good idea. The ice was gone, but the streets were still covered with slush, and no one ever clears the sidewalk on the Black Horse Pike. I had to dodge slush and drag my bike over piles of snow and was almost late for work.
Work was almost as busy as yesterday. While the weather was warmer, it's still the beginning of the month, and people are not only having Three King's Day and end-of-the-holiday-season parties, but are restocking as the kids (finally) go back to school tomorrow. They were also still cranky, grouchy, and obnoxious. I was so fed up by the end of my four hours, I asked to spend the last half-hour doing returns. Thankfully, it had slowed down by then, to the point where I was able to leave without a relief.
When I got home, I threw together tuna, broccoli, carrots, and the last of the chicken stock for fish and veggie soup and put on the Johnny Mathis On Broadway CD I got from Lauren for Christmas while moving two of the record crates back to where the tree was. Ironically, several of the numbers cover songs that either weren't originally written for musicals (like the title rock song) or for the show they were representing (the cast of Forever Plaid joined Mathis for "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries," which was written for The George White Scandals of 1931 but was supposed to represent Fosse). My favorite tracks were both lovely duets. Betty Buckley (Gloria Redmond on the Christmas episode of Remember WENN) joined Mathis for a touching medley of "Children Will Listen" from Into the Woods and "Our Children" from Ragtime. Stage and TV star Nell Carter came along for a rousing "Season of Love" from Rent.
Saturday, January 04, 2014
Put the Holidays Away
Started a sunny but frozen morning listening to the second half of that "Top 100 of 1981" American Top 40 special. Almost every song I heard this morning was a number one hit that year - "9 to 5" by Dolly Pardon, "Keep On Loving You" by REO Speedwagon, "Kiss On My List" by Hall & Oates, "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang, "Just Like Starting Over" by John Lennon, "Lady" by Kenny Rogers, and "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie. The top song of that year? "Bette Davis Eyes," by Kim Carnes.
I spent the rest of the morning listening to more Disney soundtracks as I took down the Christmas display items and the stuffed toys under the tree. I consolidated all of the smaller stuffed toys used for displays, including the Beanie Baby bears and printed elves that have been around since I was a kid, into one cloth bag. The beautiful box that held the cookies from Mom now holds the small display items for the the music area shelves, like Holly the doll and the tiny basket with the greenery. The big bell with the candy cane cut-out shapes went in the vinyl zipper bag that originally held the stuffed animals. The bears that go on my bed were returned there; the ones that went in the back room went into bags in the container.
I'm clearing out a few items, not as much as last year. The collectible bear in the sled takes up too much room; I never did figure out what to do with the bear in the Santa hat with the streamers. There's no place to hang him up outside.
I didn't want to, but I ended up calling for a ride to work. I wasn't going to chance the roads again on my own after the trouble I had getting to and from Collingswood yesterday. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but it turned out it was; the roads were just as messy as yesterday when Rose picked me up with a sleepy Khai. Rose said that salting the roads caused the trouble. It's too cold for the salt - it just congealed and froze. Frequently-used roads like the Black Horse Pike are fine, but anything that's even remotely a back road is still covered.
Despite the condition of the roads, work was nuts again. I suspect a lot of people may not have gotten out yesterday. There were a lot of folks who were cranky, obnoxious, or just plain rude. We're still dealing with beginning-of-the-month people; others were restocking after the holiday week and the snow storm, or buying food for late New Year's, Three King's Day, or football parties (the Eagles play tonight). I was so happy when my relief turned out to be one of the few older women who work late - she's almost always on time.
Did my shopping after work. Restocking produce was the main concern this week. I finally finished the last of the fruit Rose gave me from her Christmas Day party today as a snack at work. I needed almost everything - cranberries, grapefruit, orange juice, bananas, apples, mushrooms, Romaine lettuce, and the small plastic containers of Brussels sprouts and broccoli florets. The Acme's having a huge $.88 sale on Green Giant frozen vegetables - I bought peas, broccoli cuts, and the green beans and almonds. Replaced the canned fruit I had with breakfast this morning. Was out of brown sugar, dryer sheets (I've forgotten to buy them for two weeks), cereal (went with Acme's generic multi-grain o's on a good sale) and frozen orange juice concentrate. Grabbed a sponge to tide me over until I can get a couple of packs from the dollar store.
Oh, and my schedule is thankfully a lot less stressful than the past couple of weeks. I work 22 hours - far less than I have, but more than the 18 hours I worked the day after New Year's last year. I'm not too concerned - I should have tax return money coming as soon as I can get my taxes done, and then we'll be going into February, the Acme's single busiest month. Three days off (one for counseling) will allow me to finish taking the Christmas decorations down and get some cleaning done.
Jessa drove me home. When I got in, I listened to one of my Classic Disney CDs while making salmon and zucchini sauteed in balsamic vinegar. After a quick shower, I went online to watch the big Eagles-Saints playoff game. The Eagles haven't been their best, but they aren't that far behind in the 4th quarter, 23-17. After the Colts came back to beat the Chiefs 45-44, anything is possible.
I spent the rest of the morning listening to more Disney soundtracks as I took down the Christmas display items and the stuffed toys under the tree. I consolidated all of the smaller stuffed toys used for displays, including the Beanie Baby bears and printed elves that have been around since I was a kid, into one cloth bag. The beautiful box that held the cookies from Mom now holds the small display items for the the music area shelves, like Holly the doll and the tiny basket with the greenery. The big bell with the candy cane cut-out shapes went in the vinyl zipper bag that originally held the stuffed animals. The bears that go on my bed were returned there; the ones that went in the back room went into bags in the container.
I'm clearing out a few items, not as much as last year. The collectible bear in the sled takes up too much room; I never did figure out what to do with the bear in the Santa hat with the streamers. There's no place to hang him up outside.
I didn't want to, but I ended up calling for a ride to work. I wasn't going to chance the roads again on my own after the trouble I had getting to and from Collingswood yesterday. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but it turned out it was; the roads were just as messy as yesterday when Rose picked me up with a sleepy Khai. Rose said that salting the roads caused the trouble. It's too cold for the salt - it just congealed and froze. Frequently-used roads like the Black Horse Pike are fine, but anything that's even remotely a back road is still covered.
Despite the condition of the roads, work was nuts again. I suspect a lot of people may not have gotten out yesterday. There were a lot of folks who were cranky, obnoxious, or just plain rude. We're still dealing with beginning-of-the-month people; others were restocking after the holiday week and the snow storm, or buying food for late New Year's, Three King's Day, or football parties (the Eagles play tonight). I was so happy when my relief turned out to be one of the few older women who work late - she's almost always on time.
Did my shopping after work. Restocking produce was the main concern this week. I finally finished the last of the fruit Rose gave me from her Christmas Day party today as a snack at work. I needed almost everything - cranberries, grapefruit, orange juice, bananas, apples, mushrooms, Romaine lettuce, and the small plastic containers of Brussels sprouts and broccoli florets. The Acme's having a huge $.88 sale on Green Giant frozen vegetables - I bought peas, broccoli cuts, and the green beans and almonds. Replaced the canned fruit I had with breakfast this morning. Was out of brown sugar, dryer sheets (I've forgotten to buy them for two weeks), cereal (went with Acme's generic multi-grain o's on a good sale) and frozen orange juice concentrate. Grabbed a sponge to tide me over until I can get a couple of packs from the dollar store.
Oh, and my schedule is thankfully a lot less stressful than the past couple of weeks. I work 22 hours - far less than I have, but more than the 18 hours I worked the day after New Year's last year. I'm not too concerned - I should have tax return money coming as soon as I can get my taxes done, and then we'll be going into February, the Acme's single busiest month. Three days off (one for counseling) will allow me to finish taking the Christmas decorations down and get some cleaning done.
Jessa drove me home. When I got in, I listened to one of my Classic Disney CDs while making salmon and zucchini sauteed in balsamic vinegar. After a quick shower, I went online to watch the big Eagles-Saints playoff game. The Eagles haven't been their best, but they aren't that far behind in the 4th quarter, 23-17. After the Colts came back to beat the Chiefs 45-44, anything is possible.
Friday, January 03, 2014
City In the Snow
Between my long week and the messy weather, I just slept in again this morning. When I finally opened my eyes around 8:30 - quarter of 9, the sun was shining, and my landlord Andrew was shoveling my porch steps. I measured the snow left on the porch after he went downstairs and discovered that storm dropped 8 inches on us! Well, snow or no snow, I had things I wanted to do today.
I needed a good breakfast before I headed out. Ran two cartoons involving snow as I ate. The Backyardigans are on the trail of what they think is a monster living in the frozen north (but is really Pablo being cute) in the first season episode "The Yeti." Though everyone's favorite snowman is happy to be back from the North Pole in Frosty's Winter Wonderland, he's also lonely. His friends the kids make him a sweet "snow wife" named Crystal, but they can't figure out how to make her "all livin'." Meanwhile, Jack Frost is jealous that Frosty is getting all the winter attention instead of him and will do anything to keep from being second best!
Went online briefly to check my e-mail and my checking account after breakfast. Much to my disappointment, the Camden County Library System was now closed all day, rather than opening at noon as previously announced. Oh well. Those DVDs would just have to wait to go back again. I'd just spend all day in Philly.
I realized why the libraries were closed when I went downstairs. My porch and path were practically the only things that were plowed. The streets must not have been salted, because they were packed snow. It was so cold, any snow anyone shoveled just froze. I was going to ride my bike, but I ended up walking it instead. It just wasn't possible to ride anywhere. The streets were all covered with snow. I was far from the only one ignoring the literally freezing temperatures, though (it didn't get above the 20s here today). There were many people shoveling walkways or using snow blowers. I saw a group of kids and their parents happily riding down a hill on inner tubes on Bettlewood Avenue. Men were salting the sidewalks even as I arrived at the PATCO station in Collingswood.
Since the trains were running (and only slightly behind time), I figured I'd get my shopping done anyway, cold or no cold. Much to my surprise, there were quite a few other people with me on the train, especially going to 8th and Market. I got off at 16th and Locust, same as I did last month.
Much to my annoyance, most of the streets in Philly hadn't been plowed, either. They were even messier with slushy, dirty snow. The sidewalks were generally in better shape, though, making for easier walking than in New Jersey.
I once again began my trip at Barnes & Noble. It was past 1:30 by then. I started with lunch at their Starbucks. I wanted soup and a sandwich, but they said they'd opened late and hadn't gotten the soup going. I ended up with two Turkey wraps, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, and a too-crumbly blueberry muffin I didn't finish.
There were several things I wouldn't have minded buying at Barnes and Noble, but I didn't feel like hauling them around. I finally ended up with a book of crochet patterns for 18 inch doll clothes and the first book for American Girl's Girl of the Year for 2014, Isabelle. (I may see if I can pick up Tomorrow-Land on the 1964-1965 World's Fair with tax return money or for my birthday.)
My next stop was the big FYE on Broad Street. I didn't get any DVDs for Christmas beyond what I bought myself, so I had some catching up to do. I took advantage of their buy 1, get 1 for a dollar used sale to grab the third season of Laverne & Shirley, the fourth season of Moonlighting (the last season I needed for that show), and the soundtracks for A Hard Day's Night and Tangled. (Tangled and Moonlighting were the dollar items.) Made use of a massive 50% off sale to grab the more recent media I wanted, Man of Steel and the Frozen soundtrack.
I had more problems at Macy's. On one hand, they were having a buy 1 bra, get the second 75% off sale. The gift card from Lauren knocked two good bras down to 22 dollars. On the other hand, it took me over an hour to find the plus size women's section, which was shoved into a corner on the second floor. Their selection was lousy, and I just ended up grabbing a pair of JM khakis for that weren't as rugged as I would have liked - I hope they'll get me through the winter.
I was much later leaving than I'd planned. I hurried down 13th Street as well as I could to the 13th and Locust PATCO station. The 4:30 train going to Collingswood (when it finally showed up after being 10 minutes late) was surprisingly jammed full. People who would have normally taken cars or buses to work may have found themselves seeking alternate transportation when the roads proved impassible and their cars were snowed in.
Alas, the roads were still a mess when I got back in, and the sidewalks were now icy, too. I just ended up walking home, trying to stick to the main roads this time. At least the wind, which had been blasting for most of the day, wasn't as bad when I was walking home, and there was a lovely, orange-y sunset.
When I got in, I ran a couple of Laverne & Shirley episodes as I made scrambled eggs with zucchini, cheddar cheese, and ham for a quick dinner. Figured "New Year's Eve - 1960" on the second disc was an appropriate place to start. Neither woman has a New Year's for the record books when Shirley catches a cold on the big night and Laverne is heartbroken after her date ditches her. They find themselves dealing with FBI agents in their apartment who think Shirley's guy friend Carmine is a counterfeiter in "The Stakeout." And both women get the shock of their lives when they have to fly an airplane after the pilot passes out in the season opener "Airport '59."
I've spent the rest of the night online, running my many Disney soundtracks. In addition to Frozen and Tangled, I've gone chronologically and have heard The Princess & the Frog and Brother Bear. I decided to stick to Phil Collins and moved onto his Oscar-winning work for Tarzan.
I needed a good breakfast before I headed out. Ran two cartoons involving snow as I ate. The Backyardigans are on the trail of what they think is a monster living in the frozen north (but is really Pablo being cute) in the first season episode "The Yeti." Though everyone's favorite snowman is happy to be back from the North Pole in Frosty's Winter Wonderland, he's also lonely. His friends the kids make him a sweet "snow wife" named Crystal, but they can't figure out how to make her "all livin'." Meanwhile, Jack Frost is jealous that Frosty is getting all the winter attention instead of him and will do anything to keep from being second best!
Went online briefly to check my e-mail and my checking account after breakfast. Much to my disappointment, the Camden County Library System was now closed all day, rather than opening at noon as previously announced. Oh well. Those DVDs would just have to wait to go back again. I'd just spend all day in Philly.
I realized why the libraries were closed when I went downstairs. My porch and path were practically the only things that were plowed. The streets must not have been salted, because they were packed snow. It was so cold, any snow anyone shoveled just froze. I was going to ride my bike, but I ended up walking it instead. It just wasn't possible to ride anywhere. The streets were all covered with snow. I was far from the only one ignoring the literally freezing temperatures, though (it didn't get above the 20s here today). There were many people shoveling walkways or using snow blowers. I saw a group of kids and their parents happily riding down a hill on inner tubes on Bettlewood Avenue. Men were salting the sidewalks even as I arrived at the PATCO station in Collingswood.
Since the trains were running (and only slightly behind time), I figured I'd get my shopping done anyway, cold or no cold. Much to my surprise, there were quite a few other people with me on the train, especially going to 8th and Market. I got off at 16th and Locust, same as I did last month.
Much to my annoyance, most of the streets in Philly hadn't been plowed, either. They were even messier with slushy, dirty snow. The sidewalks were generally in better shape, though, making for easier walking than in New Jersey.
I once again began my trip at Barnes & Noble. It was past 1:30 by then. I started with lunch at their Starbucks. I wanted soup and a sandwich, but they said they'd opened late and hadn't gotten the soup going. I ended up with two Turkey wraps, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, and a too-crumbly blueberry muffin I didn't finish.
There were several things I wouldn't have minded buying at Barnes and Noble, but I didn't feel like hauling them around. I finally ended up with a book of crochet patterns for 18 inch doll clothes and the first book for American Girl's Girl of the Year for 2014, Isabelle. (I may see if I can pick up Tomorrow-Land on the 1964-1965 World's Fair with tax return money or for my birthday.)
My next stop was the big FYE on Broad Street. I didn't get any DVDs for Christmas beyond what I bought myself, so I had some catching up to do. I took advantage of their buy 1, get 1 for a dollar used sale to grab the third season of Laverne & Shirley, the fourth season of Moonlighting (the last season I needed for that show), and the soundtracks for A Hard Day's Night and Tangled. (Tangled and Moonlighting were the dollar items.) Made use of a massive 50% off sale to grab the more recent media I wanted, Man of Steel and the Frozen soundtrack.
I had more problems at Macy's. On one hand, they were having a buy 1 bra, get the second 75% off sale. The gift card from Lauren knocked two good bras down to 22 dollars. On the other hand, it took me over an hour to find the plus size women's section, which was shoved into a corner on the second floor. Their selection was lousy, and I just ended up grabbing a pair of JM khakis for that weren't as rugged as I would have liked - I hope they'll get me through the winter.
I was much later leaving than I'd planned. I hurried down 13th Street as well as I could to the 13th and Locust PATCO station. The 4:30 train going to Collingswood (when it finally showed up after being 10 minutes late) was surprisingly jammed full. People who would have normally taken cars or buses to work may have found themselves seeking alternate transportation when the roads proved impassible and their cars were snowed in.
Alas, the roads were still a mess when I got back in, and the sidewalks were now icy, too. I just ended up walking home, trying to stick to the main roads this time. At least the wind, which had been blasting for most of the day, wasn't as bad when I was walking home, and there was a lovely, orange-y sunset.
When I got in, I ran a couple of Laverne & Shirley episodes as I made scrambled eggs with zucchini, cheddar cheese, and ham for a quick dinner. Figured "New Year's Eve - 1960" on the second disc was an appropriate place to start. Neither woman has a New Year's for the record books when Shirley catches a cold on the big night and Laverne is heartbroken after her date ditches her. They find themselves dealing with FBI agents in their apartment who think Shirley's guy friend Carmine is a counterfeiter in "The Stakeout." And both women get the shock of their lives when they have to fly an airplane after the pilot passes out in the season opener "Airport '59."
I've spent the rest of the night online, running my many Disney soundtracks. In addition to Frozen and Tangled, I've gone chronologically and have heard The Princess & the Frog and Brother Bear. I decided to stick to Phil Collins and moved onto his Oscar-winning work for Tarzan.
Thursday, January 02, 2014
White New Year
Once again, I slept in today. I needed it. I felt so cranky and worn-out yesterday. Getting 8 hours of sleep for the first time in weeks helped a lot. So did making a quick run to WaWa before work. I needed milk, and I figured I'd have an easier time getting it at WaWa than at the Acme. Since I was there, I took money out of the ATM machine for the week, too, including for my counseling appointment on Tuesday. I also bought a "winter spice" cappuccino (I guess someone finally called them on their pumpkin spice cappuccino not tasting much like pumpkin) and a roast beef whole wheat shorti hoagie to take to work instead of throwing something together at home.
I finished out Holiday Inn as I swept the few leaves, sticker balls, and pumpkin seed pieces left on the porch, then got ready for work. Tossed on a Looney Tunes short that also discussed various holidays when the movie ended. "Holiday Highlights" comes with the Bugs Bunny's Cupid Capers DVD. It's a typical Tex Avery gag-a-thon of nutty non-sequiters, here with a calender theme. My favorite sequences - the Valentine's turn-about and the Fibber McGee & Molly jokes for June graduations.
It was still just cloudy when I rode to work around 1PM. Work was a total and complete madhouse all night. First and foremost, there was the forecast. We're supposed to get anything from 3 to 7 inches of snow. Second, it's the beginning of the month. Many people probably got their money today. Third, people were restocking for weekend parties - late New Year's for people who had to work, Three King's Day, birthdays, the Eagles-Saints game on Saturday. Fourth, today was the last day of this week's sales. Put that all together, and it spelled total bedlam. Even with as many people working as could be rounded up and as many registers open as possible, we still didn't have enough to handle them all.
Thankfully, other than I'm dead tired, that was the worst that happened. Though there were some people who were noisy or obnoxious, most seemed to take everything in good faith. By the time I finished at 8, the customers were finished, too. It had died so quickly, I was able to leave with no relief and no need for one.
The reason it quieted down was the snow started somewhere around 6PM. I walked out of the store and into a sparkling white world. It was coming down really hard, and nothing had been plowed. I walked home. While the wind was blowing, I figured it would be easier to walk than trying to drag someone out to pick me up in that mess - I doubt anyone could dig themselves out that fast.
Actually, I very much enjoyed my walk. I was able to ride slow on the Black Horse Pike. I gave up on the bike and just walked it when I got to the Oaklyn ramp, which meant I was able to take in how lovely the Christmas lights looked against the dark night sky and glittering fluff on the ground. It was like a painting from an old-fashioned Christmas card. There were a few people attempting to shovel their sidewalks or driveways on Kendall, but the snow was coming down so hard, their efforts were really rather futile and only made surfaces slippery instead of clear.
There were two surprises waiting for me when I got home. I won two lovely hand-made dresses for Josefina on eBay. One is a pretty pink floral print with an elegant lace shawl. The other is a simpler soft blue-violet print with a sweet hat trimmed with flowers. Both are long-sleeved, which is much-appreciated. Josefina only has two long-sleeved outfits in her small wardrobe. One is her pajamas. The other is her Harvest Outfit, which is long-retired and expensive on the secondary markets.
The other was also AG-related. I got my first American Girl catalog of the year, highlighting Isabelle, AG's "Girl of the Year" for 2014. Isabelle's a dancer who designs her own costumes. She joins a prestigious art school, but feels flustered by all the talent around her...until she finds her own unique voice. Oh dear. Isabelle is the first "Girl of the Year" I've ever wanted to buy. I love her creativity/theater/dance theme, and her nifty wardrobe of separates and dance costumes. I've been wanting another dance/theater/musical themed doll to go with Molly, and one I could spoil and buy frilly-girlie modern outfits for. Most of my dolls are tomboys or Bohemian. I may consider saving up for Isabelle this winter and buying her for my birthday - we'll see how I feel in the spring.
I finished out Holiday Inn as I swept the few leaves, sticker balls, and pumpkin seed pieces left on the porch, then got ready for work. Tossed on a Looney Tunes short that also discussed various holidays when the movie ended. "Holiday Highlights" comes with the Bugs Bunny's Cupid Capers DVD. It's a typical Tex Avery gag-a-thon of nutty non-sequiters, here with a calender theme. My favorite sequences - the Valentine's turn-about and the Fibber McGee & Molly jokes for June graduations.
It was still just cloudy when I rode to work around 1PM. Work was a total and complete madhouse all night. First and foremost, there was the forecast. We're supposed to get anything from 3 to 7 inches of snow. Second, it's the beginning of the month. Many people probably got their money today. Third, people were restocking for weekend parties - late New Year's for people who had to work, Three King's Day, birthdays, the Eagles-Saints game on Saturday. Fourth, today was the last day of this week's sales. Put that all together, and it spelled total bedlam. Even with as many people working as could be rounded up and as many registers open as possible, we still didn't have enough to handle them all.
Thankfully, other than I'm dead tired, that was the worst that happened. Though there were some people who were noisy or obnoxious, most seemed to take everything in good faith. By the time I finished at 8, the customers were finished, too. It had died so quickly, I was able to leave with no relief and no need for one.
The reason it quieted down was the snow started somewhere around 6PM. I walked out of the store and into a sparkling white world. It was coming down really hard, and nothing had been plowed. I walked home. While the wind was blowing, I figured it would be easier to walk than trying to drag someone out to pick me up in that mess - I doubt anyone could dig themselves out that fast.
Actually, I very much enjoyed my walk. I was able to ride slow on the Black Horse Pike. I gave up on the bike and just walked it when I got to the Oaklyn ramp, which meant I was able to take in how lovely the Christmas lights looked against the dark night sky and glittering fluff on the ground. It was like a painting from an old-fashioned Christmas card. There were a few people attempting to shovel their sidewalks or driveways on Kendall, but the snow was coming down so hard, their efforts were really rather futile and only made surfaces slippery instead of clear.
There were two surprises waiting for me when I got home. I won two lovely hand-made dresses for Josefina on eBay. One is a pretty pink floral print with an elegant lace shawl. The other is a simpler soft blue-violet print with a sweet hat trimmed with flowers. Both are long-sleeved, which is much-appreciated. Josefina only has two long-sleeved outfits in her small wardrobe. One is her pajamas. The other is her Harvest Outfit, which is long-retired and expensive on the secondary markets.
The other was also AG-related. I got my first American Girl catalog of the year, highlighting Isabelle, AG's "Girl of the Year" for 2014. Isabelle's a dancer who designs her own costumes. She joins a prestigious art school, but feels flustered by all the talent around her...until she finds her own unique voice. Oh dear. Isabelle is the first "Girl of the Year" I've ever wanted to buy. I love her creativity/theater/dance theme, and her nifty wardrobe of separates and dance costumes. I've been wanting another dance/theater/musical themed doll to go with Molly, and one I could spoil and buy frilly-girlie modern outfits for. Most of my dolls are tomboys or Bohemian. I may consider saving up for Isabelle this winter and buying her for my birthday - we'll see how I feel in the spring.
Wednesday, January 01, 2014
Merry Berry New Year
I started 2014 by sleeping in after a long week. (Thankfully, I didn't awake to mummers rehearsing as I have the past few years.) I read The Pyrates and wrote in my journal, then ran a couple of Backyardigans episodes as I had a quick oat bran and sliced pineapple breakfast. Tyrone wants to find the end of the rainbow all by himself in "Sinbad Sails Alone," but Pablo is determined to tag along. Pablo, Uniqua, and Austin want to join Tyrone's circus in "Best Clowns In Town." Tyrone is a bit humorless and doesn't like clowns...and he likes them even less when they make him miss his train.
Work was, quite frankly, boring for a lot of the day. It was busy between about 1 and 2:30, and then just went back to being mildly steady to quiet. I'm guessing everyone either did their freaking out yesterday or are waiting for tomorrow after they see the weather reports. Most of the problems I had today stemmed from my being stressed and very tired. I haven't had a day off since Christmas Day and won't have one until Friday...which is when we're supposed to get the last of the snow, of course.
And I'm not the only one who is feeling the strain of working ten days or more without a day off. One of the college boys mentioned in the back after I'd gotten off that he, too, hadn't had a day off since Christmas Day...and one of the other college students hadn't had one off since before then. With so many people gone, the Eagles doing better than expected, and the holidays here, the managers thought we'd be a lot busier than we have been.
Since I wasn't able to go out for breakfast this morning as I have the past few years, I thought I'd try going out for breakfast for dinner. The Legacy Diner in Audubon on the White Horse Pike serves breakfast all day. I had a relaxing meal of a huge, moist Belgian waffle with whipped cream and fresh strawberries and blueberries. I read the end-of-the-year Entertainment Weekly I bought at work, watched the Winter Classic (Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings 3-2), and admired the beautiful winter and Christmas stencils some creative person did on all the windows.
I thought of going to WaWa for milk, but I think I'll try getting there tomorrow instead. I just rode home and went straight in the bath. I would have enjoyed the bath more if I hadn't been so tired. After having so much fun through most of December, I feel like I've done nothing the past two weeks but work...and I haven't been able to enjoy my holidays at all. When I almost fell asleep in the bath, I figured it was time to get out.
I put on Holiday Inn after I got into my warm mauve pajamas and plaid robe. This 1942 musical featuring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire introduced the mammoth hits "White Christmas" and "Happy Holidays" and was the first of two Paramount musicals to partner Astaire and Crosby. Tired of the rat race, Crosby opens an inn that only operates on holidays. He hires a pretty dancer (Marjorie Reynolds) for the floor shows and falls for her. When Astaire catches sight of her, he falls for her, too, having been ditched by his former partner (Virginia Dale). The two spend the rest of Holiday Inn's first year competing for the two women's affections amid some lovely musical numbers.
I like this intimate romantic comedy better than the shinier White Christmas. The romantic complications have a grain of truth to them, and the way "White Christmas" is introduced is rather sweet. (PC warning - the "Abraham" number in black face for Lincoln's Birthday doesn't look so cute today, which is likely why this was an instrumental dance routine for Vera-Ellen in White Christmas.) Despite that warning, I highly recommend this one for fans of Crosby, Astaire, songwriter Irving Berlin, or smaller-scale musicals.
Work was, quite frankly, boring for a lot of the day. It was busy between about 1 and 2:30, and then just went back to being mildly steady to quiet. I'm guessing everyone either did their freaking out yesterday or are waiting for tomorrow after they see the weather reports. Most of the problems I had today stemmed from my being stressed and very tired. I haven't had a day off since Christmas Day and won't have one until Friday...which is when we're supposed to get the last of the snow, of course.
And I'm not the only one who is feeling the strain of working ten days or more without a day off. One of the college boys mentioned in the back after I'd gotten off that he, too, hadn't had a day off since Christmas Day...and one of the other college students hadn't had one off since before then. With so many people gone, the Eagles doing better than expected, and the holidays here, the managers thought we'd be a lot busier than we have been.
Since I wasn't able to go out for breakfast this morning as I have the past few years, I thought I'd try going out for breakfast for dinner. The Legacy Diner in Audubon on the White Horse Pike serves breakfast all day. I had a relaxing meal of a huge, moist Belgian waffle with whipped cream and fresh strawberries and blueberries. I read the end-of-the-year Entertainment Weekly I bought at work, watched the Winter Classic (Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings 3-2), and admired the beautiful winter and Christmas stencils some creative person did on all the windows.
I thought of going to WaWa for milk, but I think I'll try getting there tomorrow instead. I just rode home and went straight in the bath. I would have enjoyed the bath more if I hadn't been so tired. After having so much fun through most of December, I feel like I've done nothing the past two weeks but work...and I haven't been able to enjoy my holidays at all. When I almost fell asleep in the bath, I figured it was time to get out.
I put on Holiday Inn after I got into my warm mauve pajamas and plaid robe. This 1942 musical featuring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire introduced the mammoth hits "White Christmas" and "Happy Holidays" and was the first of two Paramount musicals to partner Astaire and Crosby. Tired of the rat race, Crosby opens an inn that only operates on holidays. He hires a pretty dancer (Marjorie Reynolds) for the floor shows and falls for her. When Astaire catches sight of her, he falls for her, too, having been ditched by his former partner (Virginia Dale). The two spend the rest of Holiday Inn's first year competing for the two women's affections amid some lovely musical numbers.
I like this intimate romantic comedy better than the shinier White Christmas. The romantic complications have a grain of truth to them, and the way "White Christmas" is introduced is rather sweet. (PC warning - the "Abraham" number in black face for Lincoln's Birthday doesn't look so cute today, which is likely why this was an instrumental dance routine for Vera-Ellen in White Christmas.) Despite that warning, I highly recommend this one for fans of Crosby, Astaire, songwriter Irving Berlin, or smaller-scale musicals.
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